Both the Democratic and Republican party platforms highlight religious freedom as an important right. Polling indicates that religious freedom is very important to both parties but slightly more favorable for Republicans than Democrats.
However, when it comes to private business decisions, 73% of Republicans versus 45% of Democrats believe that businesses should be able to rely on their religious beliefs to refuse service to others. When it comes to practicing one’s faith, 73% of Republicans versus 61% of Democrats believe that people should respect their religious values even if the religion excludes others. Notwithstanding this, in Democrat-run states such as Illinois, Massachusetts, California, and the District of Columbia, religious adoption agencies are basically shut down unless the institutions recognize same-sex marriage. Additionally, the new Respect for Marriage Act, according to Mike Lee is still lacking adequate protections for religious institutions in which their non-profit status could be threatened at some point later on.